DES MOINES, Iowa (Dow Jones/AP) - Darden Restaurants Inc. Wednesday said it had replaced the head of Red Lobster, its biggest chain, after an all-you-can-eat crab promotion went awry.

Darden President and Chief Operating Officer Dick Rivera will succeed Edna Morris as president of Red Lobster.

Morris, who had been in that job just 18 months, left to pursue other interests, the company said.

Darden executives said Red Lobster management had badly miscalculated how many times customers would refill their plates after paying $20 for an "endless" crab entree. Meanwhile, crab prices were going up, sending the profit margin crashing.

"It wasn't the second helping on all-you-can-eat but the third," said company chairman Joe R. Lee on a conference call.

Darden executives said Red Lobster management had badly miscalculated how many times customers would refill their plates after paying $20 for an "endless" crab entree. Meanwhile, crab prices were going up, sending the profit margin crashing. ....................

Dunno. The Chinese buffets seem to make it work. Some have snow crab legs and you can eat as many as you want.

2
posted on 09/24/2003 8:22:02 PM PDT
by dennisw
(G_d is at war with Amalek for all generations)

Back in the car-pool days we had two guys who were Canteen officers for the V.A.; they would would regale us with their tales of who had been kicked out of the most "All-you-can-eat" buffet places from coast to coast.

Golden Coral tried this a few years back, and it was a short experiment. A buddy of mine and I managed to eat 9 plates a piece one night. I think it was only $14 then. No way did they even come close to making up their cost.

ORLANDO, Fla., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Lobster this week launched a new branding identity for its 673 restaurants across North America that emphasizes the unique position Red Lobster holds of making the flavors and the feelings of the seaside available to everyone....

The new branding comes after an extensive study of consumer trends. That research -- by psychologists and also uncovered through broad-based consumer research -- found new insights into the connection seafood offers to consumers:

- "Breaking through the shell" of seafood is a metaphor for human connection as people seek to break through their tough outer shells. - Seafood such as lobster, crab and shrimp is hand-held, making it casual and shareable. While eating other foods is a singular activity often involving a knife and fork, seafood is more tactile and easier to share. - Both these traits make seafood a unique catalyst for connection, allowing people to connect over a plate of shrimp, lobster or crab more than they do over any other food.

"Red Lobster has always been about discovery and inclusion," said Red Lobster President Edna Morris. "For many people, their first introduction to delicacies like Maine lobster and Alaskan king crab legs was at Red Lobster. And in these stressful times, as people come to casual dining restaurants to re-connect, the Share the Love(TM) message is more important than ever."

"Consumers connect over seafood in very profound, unique ways. When you put a plate of shrimp or crab legs in front of a table of people, they connect and share more than the food. They share themselves," Morris said. "We are excited about Share the Love(TM) because it reflects our 35-year history of bringing the flavors and the feelings of the seaside to everyone."

15 DessertsTo complement this fine dining experience, we invite you to make a selection from out popular desserts.

NOTE: The management asks that those who have not purchased the soup, hot entrees, or desserts with their meal, neither take items from these areas, nor share with others. Those who choose to eat from these areas, or share with others will be charged accordingly. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Items on buffet or subject to change due to availability seasonally.

Hall's RestaurantAll-You-Can-EatSeafood Buffet

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"Red Lobster has always been about discovery and inclusion," said Red Lobster President Edna Morris. "...And in these stressful times, as people come to casual dining restaurants to re-connect, the Share the Love(TM) message is more important than ever."

"Consumers connect over seafood in very profound, unique ways. When you put a plate of shrimp or crab legs in front of a table of people, they connect and share more than the food. They share themselves," Morris said.

How could a restaurant chain not know that "all you can eat" invariably attracts the fattest, most gluttonous customers? Those people are constantly on the lookout for buffet specials.

A TRUE STORY

Several years ago, an "all you can eat" Chinese buffet opened down the street from my office. I and several co-workers went during the Grand Opening week. Although the food was edible, I quickly lost my appetite as I watched, all around me, tables full of grossly obese people shoveling-and I mean shoveling- food into their mouths as fast as they could swallow. And they went back for plate after plate.The sights were so disgusting, I never returned to the restaurant.

Three months later, the local news reported that the place had been closed by order of the Health Department when an inspector found numerous skinned DOG carcasses in the meat freezer.

Spreads like those are one of the outnumbered benefits of living in Maryland. Ocean City tourism mags usually have 10-15 seafood buffet restaurant advertisements, each one with a picture more mouth-watering than the last.

That's a very good comment. I used to work at California Pizza Kitchen whilst in college, I remember they used to encourage us to upsell by encouraging patrons to order dessert. I never did this bc I wanted to turn my tables over, meaning, I would rather have another waiter have the dessert patrons whilst my station was full of the people ordering the big ticket entrees...thus making better tips for myself scince people tip on the percentage of the check. Therefore the time people spent in my section had a larger tab average.

Pity the author of the red lobster idea didn't figure what you did out. Since those days of ten years ago waiting tables I went on to work in the "real world". It's amazing how little common sense people have out there in cooperations. That's why I quit working for them. Got sick of ninny ideas and the yes men at the meetings that would stay silent for "politics". Eventually jobs were lost as a result of massive idiocy. I mean really when he proposed this idea did not one person have YOUR come back to it? Share the love? Sounds very Democratic...

Now my husband and I have our own business...it's hard work and I don't have the "benefits" but the satisfaction of not becoming a souless automiton is worth it.

I'm afraid to go into a chinese buffet for fear of being eaten along with the crab legs, pork ribs and whatever else. I don't bother with 'all you can eat' menus because I'm not a greedy pig. They were stupid in the first place to offer 'all you can eat' in the fattest nation on the planet in the first place.

37
posted on 09/24/2003 9:15:40 PM PDT
by cyborg
(member in good standing of the Tinfoil Hat Society)

I have had a similar reaction to the sights of the "all you can eat" deals at restaurants. It's quite respulsive. I know that some of us are more put of from eating easier than others. I unfortunately am one of them. When you eat outside of your home aesthetics do become part of the experience...Personally I am not put off by others eating per se as much as I am by a non stop visual show of gluttony. Not to mention the waste. Which unfortunately is right in front of you in an all you can eat enviroment. I would rather go to a Micky Dees.

There is a big live fish market for Tautog, that is bought from local 'recreationals', party boats, and a few plain old poachers. There are also guys taking Striped Bass out of Brooklyn.

A couple of the worst offenders have been caught and fined over the last year, but should have lost their boats. Considering the severity of their violations, they are lucky they didn't.

I have mixed feelings on the whole situation. They are breaking the law, but sometimes the law is harmful. Fisheries are so mismanaged that there is a real disgust with it in both the recreational and commercial sectors. About the only agreement between those two is keep foreign fleets out, and the environazis are going to kill both. There is a plan to get MARINE PROTECTED AREAS(MPA) designated off Jersey and Long Island. Last I heard that's a $1-2B hit to the local economy, 90% from recreational which includes the supporting businesses like marinas the tackle industries.

I still need to lose a little more weight. I go to ww. It is a point system. I save up my points and use them one night a week if I have a good weigh in. Maybe if you could see these people as on a diet, losing weight, and not eating much all day just so they can have a special meal maybe you would see them differently and cut them some slack.

No kidding. If they would learn not to overcook their fish they would do more business.

They have the world's wimpiest rainbow trout, too. They used to have great lagostinos and it was worth going there for that, but I don't think they carry it now. We haven't been to a red lobster in years.

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